GoodTools
Cowering's GoodTools is a suite of 35 ROM auditing applications for Windows that contain a database listing known software for various video game consoles and home computers.
These tools, released as freeware, have established themselves as an important reference for ROM collectors, especially for older systems that don't have similarly authoritative sources and that have a perfect or almost perfect coverage in GoodTools.
The popularity of GoodTools originated the practice of distributing, instead of single or arbitrarily collected ROMs, the so-called "goodsets", packaged archives of every ROM for a particular platform that GoodTools recognizes.
It's not possible to create dat-files with the hashes of ROMs according to the tools, not only because of the license, but also because the tools are able to separate the header from the actual ROM data of different formats of files, even if the data is in different arrangements (big endian, little endian or interleaved). That means that the GoodTools can recognize different files as the same ROM.
List of systems covered by GoodTools
| Name | System | Version | ROMs listed | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good2600 | Atari 2600 | 3.14 | 7,216 | 22-09-2007 |
| Good5200 | Atari 5200 | 2.01 | 284 | 06-04-2004 |
| Good7800 | Atari 7800 | 2.04 | 183 | 10-11-2004 |
| GoodChaF | Fairchild/Luxor/Zircon/SABA Fairchild Channel F | 3.1415 | 88 | 18-03-2010 |
| GoodCoCo | Tandy Color Computer | 3.21 | 171 | 19-10-2012 |
| GoodCol | ColecoVision | 3.14 | 459 | 24-11-2007 |
| GoodCPC | Amstrad CPC | 3.1415 | 27,103 | 11-03-2010 |
| GoodGB64 | Commodore 64 | 3.00 | 17,067 | 13-01-2006 |
| GoodGBA | Nintendo Game Boy Advance | 3.23 | 36,125 | 29-12-2013 |
| GoodGBx | Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color | 3.14 | 9,333 | 10-11-2007 |
| GoodGCOM | Tiger Game.com | 3.14 | 30 | 24-11-2007 |
| GoodGen | Mega Drive/Genesis/32X | 3.21 | 8,563 | 20-10-2012 |
| GoodGG | Sega Game Gear | 3.20 | 1,020 | 20-09-2012 |
| GoodINTV | Mattel Intellivision | 2.03 | 238 | 01-07-2004 |
| GoodJag | Atari Jaguar | 2.01 | 139 | 27-02-2004 |
| GoodLynx | Atari Lynx | 2.01 | 300 | 04-03-2004 |
| GoodMO5 | Thomson MO5 | 3.1415 | 391 | 14-03-2010 |
| GoodMSX1 | Microsoft MSX | 0.999.3 | 589 | 03-10-2003 |
| GoodMSX2 | Microsoft MSX2 | 0.999.3 | 166 | 03-10-2003 |
| GoodMTX | MTX | 3.1415 | 98 | 14-03-2010 |
| GoodN64 | Nintendo 64/Nintendo 64DD | 3.21 | 3,389 | 19-10-2012 |
| GoodNES | Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom | 3.23b | 22,096 | 26-04-2014 |
| GoodNGPx | SNK Neo Geo Pocket/Neo Geo Pocket Color | 3.14 | 342 | 24-11-2007 |
| GoodOric | Oric/Atmos/Telestrat | 2.01 | 1,236 | 03-03-2004 |
| GoodPCE | NEC TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine | 1.09a | 1,565 | 25-08-2003 |
| GoodPico | Sega Pico | 3.15 | 178 | 28-02-2012 |
| GoodPSID | Commodore 64 PSID music | 3.22 | 37,499 | 08-11-2012 |
| GoodSAMC | Miles Gordon Technology SAM Coupé | 2.03 | 796 | 27-06-2004 |
| GoodSMS | Sega Master System | 3.20 | 1,516 | 20-09-2012 |
| GoodSNES | Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom/Satellaview | 3.25 | 24,159 | 24-01-2016 |
| GoodSPC | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SPC music) | 3.22 | 57,154 | 08-11-2012 |
| GoodSV | Watara Supervision | 3.21 | 69 | 20-10-2012 |
| GoodVBoy | Nintendo Virtual Boy | 3.1415 | 179 | 16-03-2010 |
| GoodVect | General Computer Vectrex | 1.06 | 287 | 17-07-2003 |
| GoodWSx | Bandai WonderSwan/WonderSwan Color | 3.14 | 346 | 24-11-2007 |
Hosting Licence
Cowering allows only GoodTools with a version number below 3.00 to be hosted online. Those of a higher version number are only obtainable legally from the author's site.
Contents of license.txt file included with the latest versions:
Last Revision March 13, 2005 I'd rather not have to include this file, but some ISPs/hosts do not heed the wishes of software authors and/or copyright laws. Conditions of Use: 1. You are free to use this software suite (collectively known as GoodTools) for personal use. 2. You are NOT ALLOWED to post this software on any other web site or to distribute via any other channel. If you want to provide a link to the software, please use 'www.allgoodthings.us'. 3. You are NOT authorized to reverse engineer or otherwise extract the database of names included inside the GoodTools. This includes generating databases for other renaming programs. All previous licenses to use the GoodTools databases are REVOKED as of March 13, 2005. If you wish to continue using GoodTools databases, please contact the author for a renewal. That's it for now. I'll probably have to add more clauses as more lawyer wannabees think of reasons not to play fair.
Ancillary tools
Several utilities depend on GoodTools:
GoodGUI is a graphical front end to GoodTools.
GoodMerge is a program that organizes and optimizes the compression of ROM collections by placing all versions of a particular game into one archive, reducing the number of files and significantly increasing compression when using solid file archivers such as 7-Zip.
UnGoodMerge is a program to extract ROM images from archives (such as those created by GoodMerge, hence the name) according to rules, such as only one variant of a game and no bad dumps, in order to leave behind redundant ROMs.
Good codes
The following are codes and naming schemes given to the majority (some system specific) ROM image sets for various home computer and video game consoles. Please note that some codes (such as the Sega Genesis country codes) are only on old GoodTools versions and only remain for reference.
Standard codes
| Good code | Meaning of code | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| [!] | Verified good dump | The ROM is an exact copy of the original game; it has not had any hacks or modifications. |
| [a] | Alternative version | The ROM is a copy of an alternative release of the game. Many games have been re-released to fix bugs or to eliminate Game Genie codes. |
| [b] | Bad dump | A ROM image which has been corrupted because the original game is very old, because of a faulty dumper (bad connection) or during its upload to a release server. These ROMs often have graphic errors or sometimes don't work at all. |
| [f] | Fixed dump | A fixed dump is a ROM that has been altered to run better on a flashcart or an emulator. |
| [h] | Hacked ROM | The ROM has been user modified, with examples being changing the internal header or country codes, applying a release group intro, or editing the game's content. |
| [o] | Overdumped ROM | The ROM contains more data than the original game. This extra data is useless and doesn't affect the game at all; it just makes the ROM bigger. |
| [p] | Pirated version | A dump of a pirated version of a game. These ROMs often have their copyright messages or company names removed or corrupted. |
| [t] | Trained version | A trainer (special code which executes before starting the actual game) has been added to the ROM. It allows the player to access cheats from a menu or ingame. |
| [!p] | Pending dump | This is the closest dump to the original game to date, but the proper ROM is still waiting to be dumped. |
Country codes
| Country code | Country |
|---|---|
| (A) | Australia |
| (As) | Asia |
| (B ) | Brazil |
| (C ) | Canada |
| (Ch) | China |
| (D) | Netherlands (Dutch) |
| (E) | Europe |
| (F) | France |
| (G) | Germany |
| (Gr) | Greece |
| (HK) | Hong Kong |
| (I) | Italy |
| (J) | Japan |
| (K) | Korea |
| (Nl) | Netherlands |
| (No) | Norway |
| (R ) | Russia |
| (S) | Spain |
| (Sw) | Sweden |
| (U) | United States |
| (UK) | United Kingdom |
| (W) | World |
| (Unl) | Unlicensed |
| (PD) | Public Domain, free software and freeware |
| (Unk) | Unknown country |
Universal codes
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| (NG-Dump Known) | No good dump has been found |
| (REVXX) | Revision number (00 is earliest) |
| (VX.X) | Version number (1.0 is earliest) |
| (M#) | Multilanguage; # of languages (selectable by a menu) |
| [T+XXX] | Most recent translation |
| [T-XXX] | Obsolete translation |
| ??-in-1 | Pirate multicart |
| (Vol #) | Official multicart |
| (GCN) | GameCube rip |
| [h#C] | Hacked internal cartridge information |
| [h#+#C] | Hacked internal cartridge information; #th variant |
| [hI] | Hacked dumping group intro |
| [hIR] | Hacked dumping group intro removed |
| [M] | Mono-color game |
| (Alpha) | Alpha version |
| (Beta) | Beta version |
| (Prototype) | Prototype version |
| (Pre-Release) | Pre-release version |
| (Kiosk Demo) | Demonstration version available at Kiosks |
| (Hack) | ROM hack |
| (Menu) | Multicart menu, unselectable options |
| ZZZ_UNK | Unclassified ROM |
| BIOS | Copy of console's basic in/out system |
| (N64DD) | Nintendo 64DD ROM |
| (##MBit) | ROM size in megabits |
| (##k) | ROM size in kilobits |
| (19XX) | Release year (20th Century) |
| (20XX) | Release year (21st Century) |
| (Atmos) | Atmos ROM (GoodOric only) |
| (Telestrat) | Telestrat ROM (GoodOric only) |
| [R] | RSID format (GoodPSID only) |
| (old) | Old version |
| [R-XXX] | Language |
| (SC-3000) | SC-3000 cartridge (GoodSMS only) |
| (SG-1000) | SG-1000 cartridge (GoodSMS only) |
| (SF-7000) | SF-7000 cartridge (GoodSMS only) |
| (GG2SMS) | Master System mode (GoodGG only) |
| (Cart) | Cartridge format |
| (Adam) | ADAM version (GoodCol only) |
| (Compilation) | The ROM is a dump of a compilation |
| (Ch-Trad) | Pirate traditional Chinese game |
| (Ch-Simple) | Pirate simple Chinese game |
| [f1C] | Hack, only cart name is changed |
| (PAL) | European |
| (NTSC) | American |
Translation codes:
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| Bra | Brazilian Portuguese |
| Chi | Chinese |
| Eng | English |
| Dut | Dutch |
| Fin | Finnish |
| Fre | French |
| Ger | German |
| Gre | Greek |
| Ita | Italian |
| Jap | Japanese |
| Kor | Korean |
| Nor | Norwegian |
| Pol | Polish |
| Por | Portuguese |
| Rus | Russian |
| Ser | Serbian |
| Spa | Spanish |
| Swe | Swedish |
System specific codes
GoodGBA codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| [hIR00] | Intro removed; replaced with 00 values |
| [hIRff] | Intro removed; replaced with ff values |
| [f_?] | Removed EEPROM_V124 patched |
| [v] | Game Boy Advance video |
| [eb] | E-book ROM |
| [eba] | E-Book Advance ROM |
| [ebb] | Book Reader Advance ROM |
| [f125] | Removed EEPROM_V125 |
| [f126] | Removed EEPROM_V126 |
| (IQue) | Chinese Game Boy Advance ROM for IQue console |
| Coleco on GBA | Emulated ColecoVision ROM via Coleco on GBA emulator |
| Cologne | Emulated ColecoVision ROM via Cologne emulator |
| DrSMS | Emulated Master System ROM via DrSMS emulator |
| FooN | Emulated ZX Spectrum ROM via FooN emulator |
| PocketNES | Emulated NES ROM via PocketNES emulator |
| FC2GBA | Emulated NES ROM via FC2GBA emulator |
| Goomba | Emulated Game Boy ROM via Goomba emulator |
| GBAGI | Emulated Adventure Game Interpreter ROM via GBAGI emulator |
| Swanadvance | Emulated WonderSwan ROM via Swanadvance emulator |
| PCEAdvance | Emulated TurboGrafx-16 ROM via PCEAdvance emulator |
| PocketSMS | Emulated Master System ROM via PocketSMS emulator |
| PocketSNES | Emulated SNES ROM via PocketSNES emulator |
| SNESAdvance | Emulated SNES ROM via SNESAdvance emulator |
| Snezzyboy | Emulated SNES ROM via Snezzyboy emulator |
| VGB | Emulated Game Boy ROM via VGB emulator |
| Pogoshell | Program for Pogoshell tool |
| s##e## | Series number and episode number for videos |
| (MB) | Multiboot ROM |
| (MB2GBA) | Multiboot game converted to GBA format |
| -e | E-Reader ROM |
| + ## NES | Unlicensed multicart with ## NES games |
| NDS | Nintendo DS slot-2 cartridge dump |
| GoodBook | E-Book using GoodBook converter |
| TextReader | E-Book using TextReader converter |
| PictureBoy | E-Book using PictureBoy converter |
| ReadBoy | E-Book using ReadBoy converter |
GoodGBx codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| [C] | Game Boy Color version |
| [S] | Super Game Boy version |
| [BF] | Bung fix (ROM fixed to work on a Bung cartridge) |
| (Bung) | ROM from a Bung cartridge |
| NES Conversion | NES ROM converted to Game Boy Color ROM |
| GBS Player | Game Boy music ROM |
GoodGen codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| (1) | Japan & Korea (GoodGen v0.999.7 only) |
| (4) | USA & Brazil (GoodGen v0.999.7 only) |
| (5) | NTSC (GoodGen 0.999.7 only) |
| (8) | PAL (GoodGen 0.999.7 only) |
| (F) | World (GoodGen v0.999.7 only) |
| (B ) | Non-USA (GoodGen v0.999.7 only) |
| [c] | Known bad checksum but good dump |
| [x] | Thought to have bad checksum |
| (J-Cart) | The original cartridge has two controller ports on it |
| (SN) | Sega-Net game |
| (REVXB) | Sonic the Hedgehog Japanese version 2 |
| (REVSC02) | Sonic Compilation version of Sonic 2 |
| (MP) | MegaPlay version |
| (MD Bundle) | The ROM comes from Sega Sega Genesis/Mega Drive pack-in game |
| (Alt Music) | Alternative music version of Sonic Spinball |
GoodNES codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| (PC10) | PlayChoice-10 version |
| (VS) | Versus version |
| [hFFE] | Copied from Far East Copiers |
| [hMxx] | Hacked to run on mapper xx |
| SMB# | Unspecified Super Mario Bros. hack |
| (Aladdin) | Runs with an Aladdin cartridge that locks out 10NES lockout chip |
| (Sachen) | Unlicensed game by Sachen |
| (KC) | Konami classic |
| (PRG0) | Program revision 0 |
| (PRG1) | Program revision 1 |
| [U] | Universal NES image file format |
| (Mapper ##) | Mapper number |
| (FDS Hack) | Hacked from the Family Computer Disk System to NES |
| (GBA E-reader) | Hacked from the e-Reader card |
| (E-GC) | NES ROM ripped from European GameCube |
| (J-GC) | NES ROM ripped from Japanese GameCube |
GoodSNES codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| (BS) | Broadcast Satellite (Satellaview) ROM |
| (ST) | Sufami Turbo ROM |
| (NP) | Nintendo Power ROM |
| (NSS) | Arcade SNES ROM |
GoodN64 codes:
| Code | Meaning of code |
|---|---|
| (Beta-WIP) | |
| (Debug Version) | |
| (GC) | Nintendo GameCube rip |
| (Save) | Changes the save routine. Instead of EEPROM16 the patched save is SRAM. |
| (Save-PAL) | |
| (Z64-Save) |
See also
External links